Chapter 17: Practice and Invitation

Outside Mottled Town, the afterglow of the setting sun stretched the silhouette of the abandoned mill long across the ground. In a clearing of withered, yellowing grass, a tall and straight figure stood with a bow in hand.

He stood with his feet parallel and his back ramrod straight. His left arm extended forward to support the bow, while three fingers of his right hand pinched the fletching of an Arrow and hooked the Bowstring.

In the next instant, his shoulder and back muscles surged with Power. The tough Bowstring was swiftly drawn back to the max, transforming his entire upper body into a stable, tension-filled triangle.

TWANG!

The snap of the rebounding Bowstring was deep and resonant.

Fifty paces away, an Arrow struck dead center on a dead tree acting as a target. The buzzing vibration of its fletching echoed clearly across the clearing, adding a fresh hole to a bullseye area already riddled with a dense cluster of punctures.

Raine slowly lowered his Longbow, the sharp glint in his dark eyes gradually fading. He exhaled a breath of white mist that quickly dissipated into the chilling winds of the late autumn evening. Sweat slid down his chiseled cheeks, gathering into a bead at his chin before dripping onto the withered grass by his boots.

"It really is a fine bow," he murmured, gently stroking the smooth limbs. He could still feel the lingering, unquiet pulse beneath the wooden frame.

Three days had passed since he bought this Longbow from Lady Basha and Lian. During this time, the weapon had barely left his hands. He practiced his Archery relentlessly, breaking in his new partner.

[Eagle Vision Level 2 (5/20)]

[Basic Archery Level 2 (5/20)]

The changes brought about by upgrading his Skills were quite subtle. When activating Eagle Vision, the sensation of the world slowing down and the trajectories of all things becoming clear felt much more natural and fluid, losing its previous sluggish stiffness.

When drawing the bow and nocking an Arrow, his movements were also stripped of unnecessary micro-adjustments, allowing for a far more efficient transfer of Power. This gave him a clear understanding that he had indeed taken a small step forward.

It also meant that when crisis struck, his Arrow might be a fraction of a second faster and a half-inch more accurate. On the razor's edge of life and death, such a negligible difference was often everything.

"Hiss..."

A sudden, faint tremor echoed deep within his mind, as if a delicate mental string had been stretched for far too long. This was a sign of overusing Eagle Vision.

While this Combat Technique drastically improved the precision and stability of his Archery, its drain could not be ignored. The Physical toll was roughly equivalent to using Stealth Step. Beyond that was this mental wear and tear, which could only be recovered with a good night's sleep.

Fortunately, the moment between the Arrow leaving the Bowstring and hitting its mark took little more than a blink of an eye. As long as he carefully timed when to activate the Skill, he could use it on every shot, provided his Physical reserves remained relatively full.

"Time to head back," Raine said. Looking up at the rapidly darkening night sky, he walked over to the trunk and pulled out the Arrow. The dead wood was brittle, making the retrieval quite easy.

It was a standard Iron-Tipped Arrow, its point polished to a gleaming shine and its fletching exquisitely crafted. When he received the Longbow, Lian had also handed over a sturdy leather Quiver. Inside were exactly a dozen of these pricey, standard Arrows.

"By practicing while walking these past few days, my Stealth Step has smoothly reached Level 2. Tomorrow, it'll be time to continue expanding the Hunting Chapter."

Shouldering the Longbow, he turned and melted silently into the night.

Bearing the dust and sweat of his training, Raine soon pushed open the familiar door of the Return Inn.

Behind the counter, Lady Basha was busy with her bookkeeping. She looked up at the sound of the door opening. Her calm gaze lingered for a split second on Raine and the Longbow strapped to his back, her feather pen pausing to leave a blot of ink on the ledger. Then, treating him no differently than any other returning Adventurer, she gave a slight nod in greeting.

In the main hall, Lian was weaving through the tables and chairs with a tray of food. Catching sight of Raine, she took advantage of the moment she set the tray down to wink at him vigorously, as if greeting a partner with whom she shared a secret.

Raine nodded back at the two women. He ordered a basic dinner for 2 Copper Deer and took a seat at a table near the wall. Lian soon brought over his meal: a portion of dark bread paired with stewed beans.

The beans in the coarse clay bowl bubbled faintly in the meat broth. The steam carrying their savory aroma wafted against his face, making him instantly ravenous.

The other Adventurers in the hall remained boisterous, but the glances they cast toward Raine had quietly changed. Perhaps it was his brand-new equipment, or perhaps it was the tale of him single-handedly turning in six Goblin ears, but their once undisguised gossip was steadily being replaced by curiosity and scrutiny.

Just as Raine lowered his head to scoop up a spoonful of hot beans, feeling the warmth slide down his throat, a slender figure walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat directly across from him.

Raine looked up, somewhat surprised to find that the newcomer was Kaelin.

They had occasionally bumped into each other around the inn over the past few days, but their interactions had been limited to polite nods. The Red-haired Female Swordsman left early and returned late every day, seemingly plunging into the Demon Shadow Forest daily. Every time she came back, she looked even more battered than the day before. Raine had no idea what she was up to; perhaps, like the other Adventurers, she was simply hustling to make a living.

Tonight, however, Kaelin had returned noticeably earlier.

The fireplace in the corner was CRACKLING away. By the dancing firelight, Raine noticed that her old Leather Armor had gained several distinct new gashes. Pinned to her chest was a brass Adventurer's Badge, signaling that she was now an officially registered Adventurer.

Moreover, Raine had inadvertently discovered something rather amusing. Because Kaelin had swiftly laid out two drunkards on her very first day at the inn, the Adventurers had privately dubbed her with the nicknames "Armless" and "Tough Chick."

However, whenever someone accidentally used those nicknames to her face, Kaelin would bristle instantly like a lioness whose tail had been stepped on. Her fierce posture—glaring eyes and hands on her hips—only served to spread the nicknames even wider behind her back, no matter how much she despised them.

Raine put down his spoon and looked at this uninvited "Tough Chick" in confusion, his eyes silently asking what she wanted.

Kaelin seemed to find it difficult to speak. Her fingertips absently picked at the splinters on the edge of the wooden table, and her gaze darted around slightly. Her usual crisp and decisive demeanor was nowhere to be found.

After nearly ten seconds of silence, she finally seemed to make up her mind and met his eyes.

"I took on a commission that pays pretty well," she said, pausing as if trying to organize her words. "But the location is a bit remote, and I'm not very familiar with the woods, so..."

Her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the darkness outside the window before turning back, carrying a hint of barely detectable awkwardness. "I need a guide who knows the terrain. Maybe we could complete it together and split the bounty evenly. After all, your performance last time wasn't bad."

The moment the word "together" left her lips, the tips of Lian's ears perked up as she held a water pitcher nearby. She stealthily peered over out of the corner of her eye, her gaze flashing with an excited "just as I expected" gleam. It was clear she had found fresh evidence for the "poignant love story" currently brewing in her head.

Raine studied the somewhat fidgety Female Swordsman sitting before him. Instead of immediately answering her request, he asked calmly, "What type of commission is it?"